Adrien Broner Chokes Emanuel Taylor At Press Conference Ahead Of Next Fight

Adrien "The Problem" Broner couldn't wait until Saturday to take a shot at Emanuel Taylor. Broner choked Taylor during the final press conference ahead of the pair's Sept. 6 clash at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

The confrontation occurred as Broner (28-1, 22 knockouts) and Taylor (18-2, 12 knockouts) engaged in the traditional pre-fight "face-off" -- a standard aspect of most promotional press conferences. The junior welterweights traded barbs, but the verbal sparring turned physical when Broner threatened to "beat that beard off [Taylor's] face."

As the argument escalated, Broner reached over and choked Taylor. The future opponents engaged in a brief shoving match, but an onlooker managed to separate them before further violence could ensue.

Press conference confrontations routinely occur ahead of boxing or mixed martial arts matches, particularly in the week before an event is scheduled to take place; generally, they are viewed as promotional. In August, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier engaged in a similar skirmish ahead of their Sept. 27 bout, which was ultimately canceled.

For Broner, the Sept. 6 match against Taylor represents the latest stage in his bid to re-establish himself as a top-flight boxer after an upset loss to Marcos Maidana in 2013. "I'm just glad it [the loss] came early in my career, when I'm young, instead of later in my career, when I couldn't come back from it," Broner told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I learned a lot of from that fight."

The bout will mark Broner's first fight since his dominant victory over Carlos Molina in May. Later that month, the WBC briefly suspended Broner for racially insensitive remarks he directed at Molina during a post-fight interview.

Broner and Taylor will fight on Saturday night on Showtime. Their press conference confrontation can be viewed below.